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Mrs. Marcia Dentist
I took Punk to the pediatric dentist today for the first time to check out a white spot on one of her front teeth. I had Jen ask the pediatrician about it at her most recent well-baby, and he basically said that it was probably nothing but to check with a dentist since teeth aren't his thing. There are a ton of pedi dentists in the area and most of them will do a "teeth count and check" for kids under two for free, so why the heck not, right?
Except that it was a disaster. ;) Punk is definitely not feeling the medical establishment these days and is starting to freak out at the pediatrician when they come near her with any equipment (thermometer, needle, you name it), so I was leery but basically just hoped she didn't bite anyone. (She is strong. She has bitten me a couple of times when I was trying to feel for her back molars.) I am pleased to say that she did NOT bite anyone, but she had to be held down and she screamed bloody murder. It was horrible.
The hygienist was kind of a robot and seemed to be operating on a script. She told me that the spot was demineralization (which I kind of figured) and to watch out because it could turn into decay, blah blah. Fine. She asked if Punk nurses or uses a bottle to sleep (no), if she goes to sleep with or walks around all day with a sippy cup (no), if she drinks a lot of juice or eats a lot of sweets (no), and then proceeded to remind me at least four times that I shouldn't let her walk around with a sippy cup all day and take little sips because it keeps her mouth full of sugar. Even though I already told her that she only drinks at meal and snack times.
She kept reassuring me it was "very early" and "not a big deal" and that I was such a good Mom for noticing but all the while reprimanding me for the sippy cup thing. And so I would say something like, "So how did she get decay if she doesn't do these things?" and she was all "it's not decay, it's no big deal," and then read me the sippy cup riot act again. Weird.
She had the dentist come in and check it out. By this point, *I* was sitting in the dentist chair with Punk and was hugging her and rubbing her back (her back was to everyone). He was really awesome and just peeked in her mouth around my shoulder and said, "It's nothing. It's fine." And he was really freaking hot.
They didn't really have anything to recommend for the demineralization because Punk is too young for flouride treatments, but she did say I could swab a little flouride rinse on the spot before bed sometimes, and I might do that. They also re-recommended the flouride drops (pedi recommended them at 6 months but we didn't do it), and I called the pediatrician to call it in. I might do every other day or something.
But umm, taking my screaming crazy child to the dentist really made me feel like a mama! And aside from the murderous screaming, the hygienists commented on how beautiful she is (which of course she is) and remarked on her impressive vocabulary. (More like, "Wow, she sure does talk a lot for a one year old!" and "She knows her letters already? That's crazy!" But I will take what I can get.)
Except that it was a disaster. ;) Punk is definitely not feeling the medical establishment these days and is starting to freak out at the pediatrician when they come near her with any equipment (thermometer, needle, you name it), so I was leery but basically just hoped she didn't bite anyone. (She is strong. She has bitten me a couple of times when I was trying to feel for her back molars.) I am pleased to say that she did NOT bite anyone, but she had to be held down and she screamed bloody murder. It was horrible.
The hygienist was kind of a robot and seemed to be operating on a script. She told me that the spot was demineralization (which I kind of figured) and to watch out because it could turn into decay, blah blah. Fine. She asked if Punk nurses or uses a bottle to sleep (no), if she goes to sleep with or walks around all day with a sippy cup (no), if she drinks a lot of juice or eats a lot of sweets (no), and then proceeded to remind me at least four times that I shouldn't let her walk around with a sippy cup all day and take little sips because it keeps her mouth full of sugar. Even though I already told her that she only drinks at meal and snack times.
She kept reassuring me it was "very early" and "not a big deal" and that I was such a good Mom for noticing but all the while reprimanding me for the sippy cup thing. And so I would say something like, "So how did she get decay if she doesn't do these things?" and she was all "it's not decay, it's no big deal," and then read me the sippy cup riot act again. Weird.
She had the dentist come in and check it out. By this point, *I* was sitting in the dentist chair with Punk and was hugging her and rubbing her back (her back was to everyone). He was really awesome and just peeked in her mouth around my shoulder and said, "It's nothing. It's fine." And he was really freaking hot.
They didn't really have anything to recommend for the demineralization because Punk is too young for flouride treatments, but she did say I could swab a little flouride rinse on the spot before bed sometimes, and I might do that. They also re-recommended the flouride drops (pedi recommended them at 6 months but we didn't do it), and I called the pediatrician to call it in. I might do every other day or something.
But umm, taking my screaming crazy child to the dentist really made me feel like a mama! And aside from the murderous screaming, the hygienists commented on how beautiful she is (which of course she is) and remarked on her impressive vocabulary. (More like, "Wow, she sure does talk a lot for a one year old!" and "She knows her letters already? That's crazy!" But I will take what I can get.)
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Made sense to me. I also figure that they probably wore ear plugs or something.
Glad to hear she's ok.
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(Anonymous) 2009-03-07 02:57 am (UTC)(link)<3 Sassette
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that count and check thing? brilliant business idea. we'll do a free count and check, and then when we've got you... BAM! braces! cavities! wisdom teeth! (i hate dentists)